Improvement in hot-air furnaces



y ZSheesHShe'et. L. SHEPARD. Hot-Air Furnaces. No. 143,851, Patenteducr.21,`1873.

N NITED STATEs PATENT OEEIOE oHAELEs J. sHEPAED, OE BROOKLYN, NEw YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOT=AIR FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,851, dated October 21, 1873; application led January 16, 1872.

i in nnn To all whom t may concern: i

Beit known that I, CHARLES J. SHEPARD, of Brooklyn, Kings comity, New York, have invented, made, and applied to use certain lm- -provements in the .Construction of Heating- Furnaces 5 and that the following is a full, clear, and correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved heating-furnace. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of my furnace.

In the drawings, like parts of the invention are pointed out by the same letters of reference. i

The nature of the present invention consists in certain improvements, as more fully set forth, in the construction of heating-furnaces, the object of the invention being to provide for the more thorough consumption of the fuel employed, by a complete combustion of the gases evolved from the same, thus obtaining a greater amount of heat from a given quantity of fuel than has heretofore been possible.

To enable those skilled in the arts to make and use my invention, I will describe the same.

A shows a hollowT section, provided with an exit-flue, B, upon which section rests the lower flue-section C,in which the lowerends of the tubes D are received. The upper ends of said tubes D receive the lower ends of the tubes D2, and the upper ends of the tubes D2 terminate in the upper fluesection E, which forms the oor or base of the iiue immediately beneath the fuel. y From this upper liuc-section issuspended an ash-pit, F 5 and, in the construction `of this aslrpit, provision is made for bearings for 'the ring-frame H that supports the grate G. G shows the grate constructed as is usual, the extent of the movement of the grate being governed by the extent 'of the opening or slot in the ring-frame H. The grate, constructed as shown, rests upon or is supported by the ring-frame H. I shows the i re or fuel bed-plate, which consists of a plate of metal surrounding the grate, which curves outward and gradually rises, and may be filled or lined with plaster-Of-paris or any suitable material. NJ shows the combustion-chamber resting upon the upper flue-section E. This combustion-chamber is composed, in the pres,- ent case, of two bodies of metal, the lower body rising from the flue E and projecting inward, while the upper body projects inward and downward from the dome K until it meets the lower body; and upon the face of the combustion-chamber. is cast a mouth piece, L, by which the combustionchamber is connected to the front M of the heater.- K is the dome placed upon the/upper section of the combustion-chamber, the use of which is morefully described hereinafter. M is the front of the heater secured to the ash-pit, and to the combustion-chamber, and provided with doorsN, O, and l?, giving access to the combustion chamber, ash-pit, and evaporating-pan; or the door l? may be used to admit fresh air to the heater, when so desired. Directly beneath the ash-pit F is placed an evaporating-pan, S, to which access is had through the doorMP, which pan is supplied with water, as required. The heater should, when set up ready for use, be inclosed in a metallic case or the brick-work, as is ordinarily done. y

Such being the construction, the operation is as follows: The fuel is placed upon the grate, and the iire lighted; the products of combustion rise upward, impinging upon the interior of the dome, and turn therefrom and pass down the inclined sides of the upper section of the combustionchamber centrally over the fire, revolving and mixing thoroughly with the fresh products of combustion.

As already stated, the object of the present invention is to provide for a thorough consump tion of the gases arising from the products of combustion, and thus to obtain a greater amount of heat from a given quantity of fuel,`

.than has heretofore been accomplished.

The peculiar construction of the combustionchamber, provided with the dome, causes the gases rising from the fire to be throvui down and back upon the face of there, and to be revolved over the surface of the same. The

llower section of this chamber is also so constructed that it shall overlap the flue E, thus preventing the fuel from choking up or reachv ing the iiue. The products of combustion,

the fuel projecting from the grate, which is, usually, about two-thirds of the fire-surface. The fuel which thus projects has no upright draft passing through it, but the gases evolved from it by the products of combustion envel-` oping it, pass upward to the dome, affording, thereby, a re of great brilliancy and intensity without the rapid consumption of fuel which attends the grate-bar re or that portion of the fuel supported by the grate. section C, extending, as it does, beneath the entire structure, adds greatly to the heatingcapacity; and the suspended ash-pit, located as shown, receives the radiant heat and warms the air supplied to the combustion-chamber. It will further be observed that the products of combustion pass downward while the air The lower ilueheated for distribution is passing upward, and that a large percentage of generated heat is withdrawn from the heater and uin'lized, which, in the ordinary construction of heaters7 passes od' through the chimney.

Having now set forth my invention, what I claim as new is i 1. The combination of the grate Gr and tirebed I, located as described and shown, with the dome K, for the purposes stated.

2. The suspended ash-pit F placed between the lines D2, substantially as shown.

CHARLES J. SHEPARD.

Witnesses:

A. SIDNEY DoANE, WM. HAs'riNGs. 

